Advani not taking over party reins: BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party has denied a report carried by a television news channel that former deputy prime minister Lal Kishenchand Advani was likely to take over as party president from M Venkaiah Naidu.

Bharatiya Janata Party Parliamentary Party spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra told rediff.com that Advani would be spending more time in party office, 'but no one should read too much into it'.

"Advaniji has decided to sit in the party office four times a week and help party president Venkaiah Naidu in day to day running of the BJP. This does not mean that he is taking over as the party president," Malhotra said.

At the national executive meeting of the party in Mumbai senior BJP leader Sanghpriya Gautam had said that time has come for Advani to take over the reins of the party and lead in the forthcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra and other states.

Advani, who visited the BJP office on Wednesday, was welcomed by Naidu in his newly done up office. Advani would now sit in the same room where Pramod Mahajan used to sit until last week.

"I have time and since party president Venkaiah Naiduji asked me to help out I decided that I should spend more time in the party office," Advani said.

Naidu also expressed similar sentiments and thanked Advani for agreeing to his request to spend time in the party office.

Senior BJP leaders admit in private conversations that Advani's presence in the BJP office would overshadow Naidu and the former would be virtual incharge of the party and calling the shots.